Scottish Executive

Employment

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to combat unemployment levels in North Ayrshire, given that they are significantly higher than the national average.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive is very conscious of the particular problems of areas such as North Ayrshire. We are working closely with the Ayrshire Economic Forum to ensure that through investing in jobs and skills and encouraging the growth of new businesses that we create sustainable economic growth and employment opportunities for all members of the community.

  The key economic development agency for the area is Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire (SEA), which is committed to developing proposals to further economic development and generate job opportunities across Ayrshire. The resource allocation system operated by Scottish Enterprise already takes account of both opportunity and need in local enterprise company areas and a central budget allows for response to unexpected opportunities and needs in particular areas. SEA received £1 million in additional funding for its local action plan for 2002-03 to address identified needs in the local economy.

  There are already in existence a number of initiatives and strategies across the Ayrshire area designed to assist wider social and economic regeneration. The Ayrshire Strategy for Jobs is a five-year strategy designed to create a more diverse economic base; to facilitate the acquisition of new skills; to enhance Ayrshire's competitiveness as a business location, and to address problems of economic exclusion. The New Deal has helped over 5,000 people across Ayrshire enter employment and there are special initiatives for those clients who face particular difficulties. The Executive’s Training for Work programme is available to unemployed adults on a voluntary basis and, in 2002-03, aims to offer 500 work-related training opportunities to clients in Ayrshire. SEA also provides training via programmes such as Skillseekers, the Individual Employment Fund and the Employment Initiative for Social Inclusion Partnership areas.

  North Ayrshire has benefited directly from over £3 million from the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund from the Western Scotland Objective 2 Programme 2000-06. Projects approved will promote the regeneration of disadvantaged areas, support vocational training and enhance economic development opportunities. Additionally, a further £8.5 million has been awarded to projects which will impact directly on North Ayrshire.

Fuel Poverty

Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanism and procedure it has in place to target specific sectors of the population who may be especially at risk from fuel poverty.

Hugh Henry: Fuel poverty is most prevalent among those on low incomes, particularly the elderly and those dependent on state benefit. The Executive is targeting fuel poverty among those groups through the central heating programme and the Warm Deal; stock transfer from local authorities to new community landlords, and capital allocations to local authorities. These programmes complement policies from Westminster to help low income households through the tax and benefit system, and to exert a downward pressure on fuel prices through competition and regulation.

  We have also issued a consultation paper on how the Executive might best meet the duty placed on it by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that persons do not live in fuel poverty. The responses to the paper will help us consider how measures might best be targeted in the longer term.

Fuel Poverty

Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to promote the fuel poverty initiative amongst landlords.

Hugh Henry: The main programmes to tackle fuel poverty in Scotland, the central heating programme and the Warm Deal, have been widely publicised. All local authorities and housing associations know of them and are taking part, if eligible. Eaga manage the programmes for the private sector and they have been active in promoting them among homeowners, landlords and tenants. We will continue to promote the programmes, as will Eaga. There will be further promotion of ways to tackle fuel poverty when the Executive publishes its statement on how it intends to meet the duty placed on it by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that persons do not live in fuel poverty. We are currently consulting on the terms of the statement and there will be an announcement in the summer.

Fuel Poverty

Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will measure any changes in the numbers of those suffering from fuel poverty from now until 2006.

Hugh Henry: The current estimate of the number of fuel poor households across Scotland was made from data collected for the 1996 Scottish House Condition Survey . That estimate will be revised using data from the 2002 House Condition Survey and will be revised again following future surveys. We are currently considering, with local authorities, whether estimates might be made of the number of fuel poor households in each local authority area.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the Scottish Prison Service estates review, what the estimated cost will be to the Executive of the entire process of tendering for three new private prisons, detailing each head of costs.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The tendering costs could not be reasonably estimated for any of the options until much further into the procurement timetable.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the Scottish Prison Service estates review, what the estimated cost will be to the Executive of ensuring contract compliance for each of the three proposed private prisons, detailing each head of costs.

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the costs of ensuring contract compliance for the envisaged private build, private operate prisons have been included in the price per prisoner place shown in the PricewaterhouseCoopers Financial Review of Scottish Prison Service Estates Review , and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Mr Jim Wallace: The costs of ensuring compliance have not been identified at this stage. While only private sector involvement would be regulated by a contract, similar performance measurement and compliance arrangements would be implemented as regards public sector involvement and so there would be no material cost differential under this heading among the three options. In doing so, the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) have accepted the recommendation of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons that the performance management system at Kilmarnock should be adapted for use in other SPS prisons.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the costs of tendering for the envisaged private build, private operate prisons have been included in the price per prisoner place shown in the PricewaterhouseCoopers Financial Review of Scottish Prison Service Estates Review and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The tendering costs cannot be reasonably estimated for any of the options until much further into the procurement timetable. It should, however, also be noted that design costs are not included in the PSC. The difference between tendering and design costs are not significant in a project of this scale.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the Scottish Prison Service estates review, whether it is satisfied that the Scottish Prison Service adopted an appropriate and reasonable methodology for establishing costs and risk pricing in the public sector comparator model, giving the reasons for its position on this matter.

Mr Jim Wallace: Yes. As I have made clear the costs of the PSC were a factor in my decision to have the costs and underlying assumptions verified by PricewaterhouseCoopers independently of the Scottish Prison Service. The resulting verification of the costs and methodology was published simultaneously with the Scottish Executive proposals.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the Scottish Prison Service estates review, whether it envisages in its contracts for private prisons setting basic standards for staff turnover and whether this will be a key performance indicator, giving the reasons for its position on this matter.

Mr Jim Wallace: It is not envisaged that basic standards for staff turnover will be set in any contracts for private prisons. At present staff turnover is not a key performance indicator for any existing prison in Scotland or for the Scottish Prison Service as a whole, and there are no plans to make it one for either existing or proposed prisons as it is not seen as being a key output.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the allowance for Technical Support Group facilities in the M&E services, referred to on page 18 of the Financial Review of the Scottish Prison Service Estates Review by PricewaterhouseCoopers, what such allowance was made in the estates review public sector comparator.

Mr Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25107 today. For similar reasons, it would require a disproportionate amount of time and expertise to disaggregate the specific figure for Technical Support Group facilities from the total costs.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the allowance for prison industries costs, referred to on page 18 of the Financial Review of the Scottish Prison Service Estates Review by PricewaterhouseCoopers, what such allowance was made in the estates review public sector comparator.

Mr Jim Wallace: Allowance was made in calculating the costs for the area and resources (including staff) required to deliver prisons industries. These were included in the calculation of total building and running costs; account was taken of risk factors before the NPV calculation was done. It would require a disproportionate amount of time and expertise to disaggregate the specific figure for industries from these costs.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the allowance for medical facilities costs, referred to on page 18 of the Financial Review of the Scottish Prison Service Estates Review by PricewaterhouseCoopers, what such allowance was made in the estates review public sector comparator.

Mr Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25107 today. For similar reasons, it would require a disproportionate amount of time and expertise to disaggregate the specific figure for medical facilities from the total costs.

Prison Service

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what reports it has received or requested from the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) on the e-mail message of 12.58 pm on 21 March 2002 to SPS staff by Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the SPS, regarding the prison estate review.

Mr Jim Wallace: No reports have been requested. I have however seen a copy of the relevant e-mail and I am satisfied that Mr Cameron was properly advising staff about their duty of impartiality as civil servants and providing the means whereby staff could express their views through line management or trade union representatives. No instructions have been issued to SPS staff either in the e-mail from the Chief Executive or otherwise that would infringe their right to raise any matters of concern with their elected representatives.

Prison Service

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the e-mail message of 12.58 pm on 21 March 2002 to Scottish Prison Service (SPS) staff by Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the SPS, regarding the prison estate review, which of the proposals contained in its consultation on the review are elements of Executive policy or of SPS practices.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The options were prepared by SPS with the costs reviewed by PricewaterhouseCoopers at the request of the Scottish Executive. The Scottish Executive published its proposals for consultation. As the results of the consultation are currently being considered, these remain proposals unless and until they are adopted as Executive policy.

Prison Service

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25236 by Mr Jim Wallace on 3 May 2002, whether and when it received any submission from the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) on the proposals of the internal SPS submission Constructing the Future prepared by Mr Eric Murch of HM Prison Low Moss on or about 21 April 2000

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25238 by Mr Jim Wallace of 3 May 2002, what financial review has been made on its behalf or by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) of the investment decisions proposed in the internal SPS submission Constructing the Future prepared by Mr Eric Murch of HM Prison Low Moss on or about 21 April 2000.

Mr Jim Wallace: Ministers did not receive such a submission. In the first phase of the Estates Review submissions were sought by SPS of most of its establishments in relation to their development plans. Detailed submissions were made by those establishments which required major development as part of Constructing the Future . This phase of the estates review led to settled conclusions regarding the majority of establishments involving some local development work. Further work then took place to consider integrated national options rather than local options to move towards an ideal estate. It was the investment decisions involved in these overall options which were reviewed by PricewaterhouseCoopers on behalf of the Scottish Executive.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many submissions received in respect of the consultation on the Scottish Prison Service estates review (a) supported and (b) opposed proposals to build new private prisons.

Mr Jim Wallace: The consultation period ended on 12 June. The responses to the consultation are currently being analysed. Once the analysis has been completed, a report of that analysis will be published. In accordance with normal procedures, the responses themselves will also be made available for public scrutiny.

School Meals

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the statistics from the Child Poverty Action Group showing that approximately 80,000 children from low income families are not eligible for free school meals, whether the current eligibility criteria for free school meals should be widened and, if so, what specific action it is taking or plans to take in order to increase eligibility across Scotland.

Nicol Stephen: The current entitlement to free school meals ensures that help is targeted at children from the poorest families under clearly defined and understood criteria. Any extension of eligibility would have significant cost implications.

  We recently established an Expert Panel on School Meals with the remit to provide costed recommendations and a fully developed implementation strategy to establish standards for school meals; to improve the presentation of school meals; to improve general take-up, and to help eliminate any stigma attached to taking free school meals. We have welcomed the panel’s recently submitted interim report and authorised the panel to proceed to full consultation on its findings. All issues relating to school meals will be considered by ministers when the expert panel’s final report is received.

Sex Offenders

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what data is available on the re-offending rates of sex offenders.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  There is no reliable data available on the re-offending rates of sex offenders in Scotland. However, in terms of re-incarceration, information previously collected for management purposes in one location (Peterhead) indicated that 13 persons who had completed a sex offender programme have been reconvicted or recalled in the period from 1993 to 2001.

Sex Offenders

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what programmes are currently being run in each prison for prisoners categorised as sex offenders.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Currently, two programmes designed to tackle sex offending are being delivered. These are the core programme, STOP 2000, and the Adapted programme. Peterhead delivers STOP 2000 and Adapted STOP; Polmont delivers Adapted STOP; and Barlinnie delivers STOP 2000.

Social Inclusion Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which social inclusion partnerships have (a) underspent and (b) overspent their budgets in each financial year since 1998-99 and by how much.

The Executive has supplied the following corrected answer:

Ms Margaret Curran: Details of Social Inclusion Partnership spending against their SIP Fund allocations is shown in the tables below for 1999-2000 and 2000-01. Out-turn information in respect of 2001-02 is not yet available.

  Table shows figures for 1999-2000;

  


SIP 
  

Total Allocation 
  

Expenditure 
  

Under(Over) 
  



Aberdeen Great Northern 
  

809,000 
  

809,000 
  

0 
  



Arbroath 
  

140,000 
  

140,000 
  

0 
  



Argyll and Bute 
  

206,000 
  

205,113 
  

887 
  



Edinburgh North 
  

2,877,000 
  

2,830,281 
  

46,719 
  



Edinburgh South 
  

740,000 
  

506,427 
  

233,573 
  



Edinburgh Strategic Programme 
  

1,178,000 
  

1,098,064 
  

79,936 
  



Edinburgh Youth SIP 
  

205,000 
  

182,331 
  

22,669 
  



Edinburgh Craigmillar 
  

1,723,000 
  

1,669,416 
  

53,584 
  



Alloa South and East* 
  

750,000 
  

783,252 
  

(33,252) 
  



Dundee Young Carers 
  

56,000 
  

24,332 
  

31,668 
  



Dundee SIP1 
  

2,512,000 
  

2,508,967 
  

3,033 
  



Dundee SIP2 
  

792,000 
  

792,000 
  

0 
  



Dundee Xplore 
  

300,000 
  

181,375 
  

118,625 
  



East Ayrshire Coalfields 
  

741,000 
  

694,110 
  

46,890 
  



Tranent 
  

94,000 
  

93,750 
  

250 
  



Levern Valley* 
  

433,000 
  

554,299 
  

(121,299) 
  



Falkirk 
  

550,000 
  

550,000 
  

0 
  



Fife 
  

751,000 
  

720,332 
  

30,668 
  



Fife Frae 
  

94,000 
  

55,808 
  

38,192 
  



Glasgow Smaller Areas 
  

1,100,000 
  

1,096,559 
  

3,441 
  



Glasgow Anti Racist Alliance 
  

593,325 
  

465,202 
  

128,123 
  



Glasgow Big Step 
  

378,000 
  

87,298 
  

290,702 
  



Glasgow Drumchapel 
  

1,875,000 
  

1,587,475 
  

287,525 
  



Glasgow East End 
  

2,800,000 
  

2,672,295 
  

127,705 
  



Glasgow Gorbals 
  

562,500 
  

541,183 
  

21,317 
  



Glasgow Greater Easterhouse 
  

3,400,000 
  

3,378,280 
  

21,720 
  



Glasgow Greater Govan 
  

375,000 
  

349,172 
  

25,828 
  



Glasgow Greater Pollok 
  

1,725,000 
  

1,701,653 
  

23,347 
  



Glasgow Milton 
  

200,074 
  

170,303 
  

29,771 
  



Glasgow North 
  

3,300,000 
  

3,240,883 
  

59,117 
  



Glasgow Routes Out 
  

187,500 
  

65,175 
  

122,325 
  



Glasgow Springburn 
  

200,316 
  

200,085 
  

231 
  



Highlands and Islands 
  

603,000 
  

479,730 
  

123,270 
  



Inverclyde 
  

2,998,000 
  

2,991,245 
  

6,755 
  



Moray Youthstart 
  

424,000 
  

419,556 
  

4,444 
  



North Ayrshire* 
  

776,000 
  

792,559 
  

(16,559) 
  



Motherwell North 
  

1,530,000 
  

1,329,242 
  

200,758 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

850,000 
  

807,162 
  

42,838 
  



South Coatbridge 
  

250,000 
  

208,947 
  

41,053 
  



GO – Perth 
  

128,000 
  

46,577 
  

81,423 
  



Ferguslie Park** 
  

662,372 
  

528,740 
  

133,632 
  



Paisley 
  

2,981,000 
  

2,749,276 
  

231,724 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

215,000 
  

154,966 
  

60,034 
  



Girvan 
  

315,000 
  

289,848 
  

25,152 
  



North Ayr* 
  

1,508,000 
  

1,950,332 
  

(442,322) 
  



Blantyre/ North Hamilton 
  

500,000 
  

498,254 
  

1,746 
  



Cambuslang 
  

600,000 
  

598,595 
  

1,405 
  



Stirling 
  

583,000 
  

582,356 
  

644 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

2,193,000 
  

2,186,700 
  

6,300 
  



West Lothian 
  

188,000 
  

170,792 
  

17,208 
  



Total 
  

48,952,087 
  

46,739,297 
  

2,212,790 
  



  Note:

  * Four Social Inclusion Partnership areas showed an overspend against the agreed SIP Fund allocation in 1999-2000, i.e. Alloa South and East, Levern Valley, North Ayrshire and North Ayr. It should be noted that any amounts over and above the agreed allocations are met from other sources, usually the local authority.

  ** By April 1999 Ferguslie Park was absorbed into the Paisley Social Inclusion Partnership but was given a ring-fenced budget to be used solely for the Ferguslie Park area.

  Table shows figures for 2000-01;

  


SIP 
  

Total Allocation 
  

Expenditure 
  

Underspend 
  



Aberdeen Great Northern 
  

844,000 
  

844,000 
  

0 
  



Argyll and Bute* 
  

280,000 
  

291,610 
  

(11,610) 
  



Edinburgh North 
  

2,589,575 
  

2,556,423 
  

33,152 
  



Edinburgh South 
  

990,938 
  

964,498 
  

26,440 
  



Edinburgh Strategic Programme 
  

550,450 
  

537,490 
  

12,960 
  



Edinburgh Youth SIP 
  

567,000 
  

561,891 
  

5,109 
  



Edinburgh Craigmillar 
  

1,755,335 
  

1,731,958 
  

23,377 
  



Alloa South and East 
  

1,017,000 
  

1,014,783 
  

2,217 
  



Dundee Young Carers 
  

105,000 
  

101,404 
  

3,596 
  



Dundee SIP1 
  

2,119,000 
  

2,106,738 
  

12,262 
  



Dundee SIP2 
  

453,000 
  

448,030 
  

4,970 
  



Dundee Xplore 
  

500,000 
  

269,450 
  

230,550 
  



East Ayrshire Coalfields 
  

1,042,250 
  

1,042,043 
  

207 
  



Tranent 
  

128,000 
  

128,000 
  

0 
  



Levern Valley* 
  

446,000 
  

528,206 
  

(82,206) 
  



Falkirk 
  

578,750 
  

578,750 
  

0 
  



Fife 
  

630,000 
  

630,000 
  

0 
  



Fife Frae 
  

164,750 
  

153,817 
  

10,933 
  



Glasgow Smaller Areas 
  

1,378,000 
  

757,173 
  

620,827 
  



Glasgow Anti Racist Alliance 
  

780,500 
  

757,294 
  

23,206 
  



Glasgow Big Step 
  

722,328 
  

565,541 
  

156,787 
  



Glasgow Drumchapel 
  

2,755,280 
  

2,594,432 
  

160,848 
  



Glasgow East End 
  

2,868,000 
  

2,791,711 
  

76,289 
  



Glasgow Gorbals 
  

764,000 
  

731,298 
  

32,702 
  



Glasgow Greater Easterhouse 
  

3,491,000 
  

3,395,426 
  

95,574 
  



Glasgow Greater Govan 
  

509,000 
  

481,019 
  

27,981 
  



Glasgow Greater Pollok 
  

2,343,000 
  

2,000,916 
  

342,084 
  



Glasgow Milton 
  

764,000 
  

581,783 
  

182,217 
  



Glasgow North 
  

2,987,000 
  

2,984,906 
  

2,094 
  



Glasgow Routes Out 
  

353,000 
  

269,706 
  

83,294 
  



Glasgow Springburn 
  

764,000 
  

736,558 
  

27,442 
  



Highland and Islands 
  

886,825 
  

809,329 
  

77,496 
  



Inverclyde* 
  

2,421,000 
  

2,423,735 
  

(2,735) 
  



Moray Youthstart 
  

576,000 
  

576,000 
  

0 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

730,000 
  

714,000 
  

16,000 
  



Motherwell North 
  

1,629,500 
  

1,533,240 
  

96,260 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

886,250 
  

853,681 
  

32,569 
  



South Coatbridge 
  

716,000 
  

605,124 
  

110,876 
  



GO – Perth 
  

194,761 
  

167,706 
  

27,055 
  



Ferguslie Park** 
  

1,101,000 
  

868,946 
  

232,054 
  



Paisley 
  

2,947,000 
  

2,748,176 
  

198,824 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

235,000 
  

226,679 
  

8,321 
  



Girvan 
  

428,000 
  

417,587 
  

10,413 
  



North Ayr* 
  

1,545,938 
  

1,853,918 
  

(307,980) 
  



Blantyre/ North Hamilton* 
  

1,019,000 
  

1,061,010 
  

(42,010) 
  



Cambuslang 
  

625,000 
  

593,275 
  

31,725 
  



Stirling 
  

526,000 
  

517,446 
  

8,554 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

2,087,000 
  

2,086,373 
  

627 
  



West Lothian 
  

256,000 
  

253,525 
  

2,475 
  



Total 
  

54,050,430 
  

51,446,604 
  

2,603,826 
  



  Note:

  * Five Social Inclusion Partnership areas showed an overspend in 2000-01, i.e. Argyll and Bute, Levern Valley, Inverclyde, North Ayr and Blantyre/North Hamilton. It should be noted that any amounts over and above the agreed allocations are met from other resources, usually the local authority.

  **Ring-fenced element of Paisley SIP.